Why does our bunny not like my daughter?

[MandytheBun75]

A few months ago we got a Lilac from another FFA member for my daughter to show. She was almost 6 months when we got her.
The environment she came from was a rabbitry, so she shared her cage with one other rabbit (her sister), and they were outdoors in a converted carport. It was typical wire cages with wire floors.
We brought her home and set her up indoors with soft bedding, no extra residents in her area and switched her from the bulk rabbit pellets she was getting to Oxbow and unlimited Timothy Hay.
I help my daughter feed her since she gets busy with school and band. I also take her out and hold her while watching TV. She seems very content when I have her and will rub her chin or brush her whiskers on my face.
When my daughter tries to handle her, it's a different rabbit. She shakes and kicks. She has jumped out of her arms before. She jumps away from my daughter when she tried to pet her. I've tried putting Mandy in her room loose while she does homework and she just runs under the bed and starts thumping until I get her out.
Has she bonded with me to much? Should I move her cage to my daughter's bedroom so she thinks of that as her territory? Could it be our cats? They seem to get along, Mandy chases them up and down the hallway...they are more scared of her. Our dog is ALWAYS outside when she's out but maybe the smell of him is scaring her?
She seems to be more scared in carpeted areas, which makes me think it's a scent thing.
I took my daughter and the bunny to a "bunny social" for FFA. The kids all stood around grooming their rabbits or just holding them and talking, Mandy seemed to REALLY like that. Maybe she needs a bunny friend?
How do I get the rabbit to like my daughter? They have a show coming up November 2nd and 3rd, she's really worried that Mandy won't pose of the judge (I think she will be fine since in this show the judge will be handling her).

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Spend quiet time and bribe with treats--ours will do anything for Cilantro. We had a rescue that loved me and would follow me all over. If I was in the room and Nancy came in, she would screech and attack her legs like it was a competition as to which one was the alpha female. I thought it was funny, Nancy not so much.

 

[Preitler]

Just my impression:

Now, this is more or less your rabbit. You write a lot about what you do, not much about what your daughter actually does with the rabbit. Spending time, handling it, taking small steps followed by a little treat etc. - it can be a lot of work to earn a rabbits trust. It's not like with dogs that can be trained and pampered by one and go happily for a walk with someone else, rabbits have a very different mindset about such things.

It's also about the confidence with which your daughter handles the rabbit - "trying to hold it" sends exactly that message - the rabbit knows exactly when someone is insecure or unpracticed, and since letting someone near is already .a big act of trust, when someone tries to handle or touch them, and they feel they have a chance to wiggle and escape, that reaction is normal.

Patience. Small steps. Starting with giving treats (I use the pellets, they don't get them just in a bowl, always as treat) from ones hand, then petting and rubbing between the ears while the rabbit eats, when it runs away, just staying put, not trying to hold it. When that works putting an arm around it for a second, without startling it, unti lit doesn't hop away right away. Practicing picking up with a stuffed toy, until she is sure of what she's doing.
Also spending as much time on ground level with the rabbit can help. Does the rabbit still stomp under the bed after an hour when your daughter is on the floor ignoring it with something yummy to give, after doing that for some days?
But all that needs to be what your daughter wants. There's so much more to it than buying a rabbit to have something to show, feeding it and cleaning the cage.

I wouldn't worry so much about judges next week, but that consider that you've got a 10+ year responsibility there, and a rather high maintanence one.

My rabbits are very quiet when taken somewhere else (to the vet), and just stay where I put them, simply because they don't know what else to do, I guess many rabbits act like that on the show table, so that can actually work (I dont show, there are many here with experience). But it sure helps when they are used to be handled by that person (and vice versa).

Anyway, all rabbits are different - and since yours is fine with you I think you've got a nice one there, and it should accept your daughter too when done right (I have one that doesn't allow me to pet her after 4 years, isn't afraid or skittish, just don't likes it)

 

[Blue eyes]

I got the same impression as Prietler. It sounds like you've done much to gain the rabbit's trust. I would suggest your daughter allow the rabbit time to get to know her too. Reaching out to pet the rabbit is actually not the way to start. The way to start is to confine the rabbit in a small space (exercise pen size) where your daughter can sit with the rabbit. She should ignore the rabbit even when it approaches her-- at least in these early stages.

As the rabbit gets more comfortable just approaching your daughter, she can hand feed it a treat (like cilantro or other favored green). After time spent doing that (several days at least), then she can try to pet the rabbit. It can be a process and requires effort and patience.

Is Mandy the cat? Be sure your daughter or her hands do not smell of cat when she sits with the rabbit. If the cat has been chasing the rabbit, then that would certainly make the scent of cat not be pleasant to the rabbit. (I'd also suggest putting a stop to that as being chased is not play for the rabbit -- though it likely is just play for the cat (how predators play but not how prey play).

 

[Nancy McClelland]

All of ours are rescues, so it did take time with some to gain trust--some were great right off the get-go and others took a really long time with healing needed for my hands and fingers. Quiet time and lots of patience.

 

[MandytheBun75]

Is Mandy the cat? Be sure your daughter or her hands do not smell of cat when she sits with the rabbit. If the cat has been chasing the rabbit, then that would certainly make the scent of cat not be pleasant to the rabbit. (I'd also suggest putting a stop to that as being chased is not play for the rabbit -- though it likely is just play for the cat (how predators play but not how prey play).

Mandy is the rabbit. She chases the cats. I talked to a friend Friday night that has rabbits and she basically told me I needed to back off and let my daughter take care of the rabbit. She had the same problem, her daughter wasn't confident so she was the one feeding, handling, grooming, ect. Once she stopped now all the rabbits ignore her when she comes in their area, when her daughter comes in they go crazy.
I do think I may get myself a silver fox. That way I have my own rabbit

 

[jamesewaller]

there is good advise above here,-all I can add is you have a established household-my wife brought home a 14 week old pedigreed cockerspainel{male},took one look at me and he was in love{,we were inseperable.}.-then,-my wife brought home a female 12 week old cockapoo,and they were inseperable -and we lived happily everafter..I guess there is a moral to the story somehow..-sincerely james waller for joseph r cottontail/b denium..rip

 

[MandytheBun75]

Update: Our show went great! Mandy didn't win any ribbons, her mother won BIS Reserve for rare breed plus BIB for all events she was entered. My daughter had to handle her for all 4 events and since then she has been much more confident.
We also came home with a new bunny, a mini rex Himalayan named Riley. His first show will be our school's FFA run one called Winter Classic. Then it's on to the Fort Worth Stock Show.

 

[A & B]

Update: Our show went great! Mandy didn't win any ribbons, her mother won BIS Reserve for rare breed plus BIB for all events she was entered. My daughter had to handle her for all 4 events and since then she has been much more confident.
We also came home with a new bunny, a mini rex Himalayan named Riley. His first show will be our school's FFA run one called Winter Classic. Then it's on to the Fort Worth Stock Show.

Congrats on the ribbons and new bun!